this is bbc news. the headlines at ham: the french president, emmanuel macron, says the uk must be clearer about its negotiating position on brexit. the uk's credit rating has been cut over concerns about public finances and fears brexit could damage the country's economic growth. thousands of people in puerto rico have been evacuated from their homes after a dam failed following days of torrential rain brought by hurricane maria. nearly half a million people have signed a petition calling for transport for london to reverse its decision to stop the minicab app uber from operating in the capital. also in the next hour, thousands of costumes from the royal shakespeare company go up for sale. this whole section of rail is nothing but tuxedos. sir patrick stewart goes through the wardrobe to share some of his memories from the stage. and coming up at 11:30am here on bbc news, this week's

edition of dateline london. good morning and welcome to bbc news. theresa may must be clearer about what she wants from brexit before the eu can start trade talks, according to the french president emmanuel macron. monsieur macron said three key issues must be agreed — the rights of three million eu citizens living in the uk, how much the uk will pay on leaving and the future of the uk—irish border. it's the first response by a european leader to the prime minister's speech yesterday in florence, in which she suggested a two—year transition period after brexit, meaning the uk would finally break away in 2021. brexit secretary david davis is heading to brussels for the next round of talks with the eu negotiating team on monday.

our political correspondent leila nathoo reports. theresa may came here to florence to try to unblock the brexit negotiations. with warm words about an exciting partnership ahead, a pledge to honour written‘s commitments to the current eu budget, and promises to guarantee the rights of eu citizens in the uk, she hopes she's done enough to kick—start the talks. she appears to have struck the right balance, appeasing tory leavers and remainers alike by pushing for a transition period where security, trade and immigration rules remain the same, but insisting it would only last a couple of years. there should be a clear double lock. a guarantee that there will be a period of implementation, giving businesses and people alike the certainty that they will be able to prepare for the change and a guarantee that this implementation period will be time limited, giving everyone the certainty that this will not go on forever. brussels and eu leaders gave

the speech a cautious welcome, praising what they saw as the constructive spirit and a show of realism. but there was a demand for more detail. while the prime minister's speech has generated some goodwill, the test will come when brexit talks resume on monday. our political correspondent susana mendonca is here. what reaction within the conservative party? in the cabinet we have seen a united front which we have not seen much in recent months. borisjohnson had just have not seen much in recent months. boris johnson had just written have not seen much in recent months. borisjohnson had just written an article where he said the uk should not pay any money to the eu to stay in the single market, he supported the speech, and then philip hammond

who supported a softer brexit said it was excellent, so she has united the conservative cabinet but for the party more widely, and mixed response. pro—remainders like anna soubry or supportive for the speech, but there were concerns about this two—year period which means we will effectively still be in the eu and have to play into the budget, then in terms of the reaction from the french president's comments today, we have also heard from bernard jenkin, a senior backbencher who said a macron cannot expect us to tell him how much money we will go forward if we don't know what the eu wa nts forward if we don't know what the eu wants from britain, so a mixed response so far. emmanuel macron one european leader to react and i suppose we are waiting to hear from others. we have the german election

tomorrow so we will hear more after that has happened. in terms of the eu negotiating team, michel barnier yesterday said he welcomed the constructive spirit but wanted more information about what the uk wants. also the negotiator for the european parliament talked about how britain has now seen the reality of what needs to happen and so this sense you got from the speech yesterday was that theresa may was trying to develop a better negotiating position with the eu. there was a much warmer tone and you get the sense they are inching towards the idea that there has to be a deal. we have that cut—off point in march 2019 and if there isn't a transition period, then effectively they would talk about britain crashing out of the eu. we would go to world trade organisation rules, so britain's

focus is on getting that trade deal. the ratings agency moody's has downgraded britain's long—term credit rating. it says it made the decision because of the economic uncertainty caused by the brexit negotiations and the likelihood that the public finances would become weaker. downing street says the firm's assessments were "outdated". 0ur reporterjessica parker spoke to alastair wilson from moody's to ask him why the uk's credit rating had been downgraded. we have downgraded the uk for two reasons, firstly because we no longer have confidence that the uk government plans to bring the debt load down will come to fruition, and secondly because of the economic impact that we think brexit will have. another factor we have taken into account is the distraction that brexit will pose to policymakers. this decision was made earlier this week, before the prime minister made her speech in florence about brexit. downing street says your findings are outdated — what do you say to that? i have read the speech, it doesn't change our view at all. it is certainly not outdated, it reflects a medium—term view

of what we think will happen in the uk economy, and in the physical sector as well. it is not outdated. do you welcome what the prime minister said on friday? in some respects, yes, this is a recognition that a transitional arrangement will be needed, that is a positive feature from a credit perspective. we and many others have said for a long time that it will not be possible to put in place alternative trading arrangements between now and the first half of 2019, so some form of transitional arrangement will be needed to avoid the risk of the eu. —— the cliff risk of the uk crashing out of the eu. the prime minister and government now recognises that, and that is positive in that respect. moody's have already downgraded us once this year, could we be downgraded even further? the stable outlook on ratings is there to illustrate the fact that we think it is unlikely that will happen over the next 12—18

months, or even beyond that. let's put this into perspective, the uk has the third highest credit rating in our arrangements. this is a very strong credit, very strong economy, very strong government balance sheet, and most importantly very strong institutions. they are very positive factors in our assessment of the uk. hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for transport for london to reverse its decision not to renew uber‘s licence. the regulator said the minicab firm was not "fit and proper" to hold a london private hire operator licence on the grounds of "public safety and security implications". uber responded by saying that the decision "will put more than 40,000 licensed drivers out of work" and deprive londoners of a convenient and affordable form of transport. a little earlier i spoke to labour mp wes streeting, who is chair of the all—party parliamentary group on taxis and i asked him what he made of the petition. i can understand if you are a uber

customer, you will be disappointed by the turn of events, but my advice to those people is that you are petitioning the wrong people. it is not tfl's fault that uber stands to have its licence revoked. the blame for this debacle lies firmly and squarely with uber. they have flouted the rules of the road that every licensed operator in london has to abide by, and we're not talking about trivial regulations. uber has received damning criticism from the metropolitan police, for example, for failing to appropriately handle and report serious allegations of rape and sexual assault in uber vehicles. i don't think that is a way that a fit and proper operator would behave or should behave, so if uber want their licence back and want to take part in london's taxi and private hire market and be

part of the competition, they have to play by the same rules as everybody else. so you would like that option to be open to them, if they reform their ways, you would like them back on the streets? well, of course, because the whole point of having a well regulated taxi and private hire industry in london is that we maintain standards that ensure fair competition, but also, most importantly, put passenger safety as paramount. uber flouted that. there are wider issues about their business model, beyond the scope of the inquiry led by tfl, and one of the reasons why people can enjoy rock bottom fares with uber is they are artificially low because they don't pay their drivers properly, they are leading a race to the bottom in terms of pay, terms and conditions, they don't pay their fair share of tax in the uk, and they are saturating the market with huge numbers of vehicles to drive out competition, and they are able to do that

because of the huge amount of venture capital behind that. that is a much wider debate about the future of the economy, the so—called gig economy, and the way in which we enforce better standards across that, but in terms of the scope of tfl's decision, they have got uber bang to rights. is it not, though, true to say that there was a substantial gap in the market before they came along because, in the minds of quite a few people, black cabs are too expensive? well, a licensed black taxi is a premium product. you are paying for our driver who has undertaken the most extensive trading, the knowledge, of any taxi driver in the world. they know all the short cuts, you do pay a bit more for that. you pay a lot more for that, don't you? there is no doubt that trade has to become more competitive, in fact they are already are,

which is why you have got innovations like a whole range of apps for black taxis. you can pay by credit card in a vehicle, and i sure there will be further innovations, because they have to be competitive, and the industry is up for that, but we have to have a fairly regulated industry where people abide by the rules of the road, and uber has been found wanting. i mentioned 40,000 people signing the petition, what you say to the view that this woman says, she is annoyed because uber allows her to get out of what she calls uncomfortable situations if she is out at night? people like that are going to be left in limbo here. well, the good news is that the taxi and private hire industry has moved on in london, there is a whole range of apps now that have those same features of getting you from one destination to another, where you know the driver's name, you have got the number plate, but what i would say do viewers who are concerned about safety is that they should be even more concerned about the fact that there have been instances of alleged rape and sexual assault in uber vehicles which they have not properly reported

to the metropolitan police. safety has got to be paramount, the regulator is doing itsjob. if uber customers or drivers are angry about this situation, don't blame the regulator for enforcing the rules — let's blame the company that flout them and tell them to buck their ideas up so they can take part in the industry with the same rules as everyone else. many of the big travel insurance firms will not reimburse ryanair passengers who lost money on hotel bookings or other expenses when the airline cancelled their flights, the bbc has learned. the low—cost airline is grounding more than 2000 flights over the next six weeks, because of the number of pilots taking holidays. a section of the m3 in hampshire has been closed in both directions while

police deal with an incident. a hazardous response unit is at the scene, atjunctions hazardous response unit is at the scene, at junctions nine hazardous response unit is at the scene, atjunctions nine and 11, close to winchester. drivers are advised to find an alternative route. tens of thousands of people in puerto rico have been ordered to immediately evacuate an area because a dam is threatening to burst. parts of the 90—year—old barrier have been broken by the weight of water after days of heavy rain following hurricane maria. andrew plant reports. after days of heavy rainfall, severe damage to this dam has sent torrents of water searching downstream, causing flash flooding four miles down river. 70,000 people in several populated areas told to evacuate from here, but information from puerto rico has been unreliable, and it's unclear how many people are still in danger here. is everybody 0k in that house? it is already being called the worst storm for a hundred years, many roads underwater, with cars submerged, and those who stayed in their homes sheltering on the upper floors from the deluge and damage down below.

do you have enough food and water? the priority is food, water, blankets, tarpaulins. there is damage around the whole island. porto rico's governor said damage to the actors to degrade was so severe that it could take engineers many months to fully restore power to the island. the headlines on bbc news: the french president, emmanuel macron, says the uk must be clearer about its negotiating position on brexit. the uk's credit rating has been cut over concerns about public finances and fears brexit could damage the country's economic growth. tens of thousands of people living

downstrea m tens of thousands of people living downstream from a failing damn in porto rico have been evacuated. the death toll from mexico's powerful earthquake has risen to 273, according to officials, as rescuers desperately try to reach trapped survivors. volunteers and relief workers are distributing aid to those who have been left homeless by the quake. 0ur north america correspondent rajini vaidyanathan has been visiting a distribution centre. there is a huge relief effort under way here in mexico city in the wake of the earthquake. here at this donation centre, people are bringing in all kinds of things to help the many people who have been left homeless. over here we have people sorting through clothing that has been donated. hundreds of people have been left homeless in this earthquake and do not have shelter. what we see here are people donating mattresses and blankets so that people at least have a comfortable place to stay as there still are hundreds of people

sleeping out on the streets. others are returning home and are unclear whether their buildings are safe or habitable. of course, it was not just people but animals affected by the earthquake. here there is a poster, someone searching for the missing dog. people have donated petfood which will also be distributed. one of the most basic things people need is access to clean drinking water. huge amounts of it are being donated here and it will be handed out, notjust to people without homes but also people helping with the rescue effort. this part of mexico city is starting to get back to normal. some businesses have reopened. we must not forget that there are still many families here who are waiting to find out whether their loved ones will be rescued alive and, of course, as we can see here, there is a huge need to help the hundreds who have been left homeless. iran says it has successfully tested a new ballistic missile, in defiance of us president donald

trump. the launch of the missile, which has a range of 2000 kilometres, was shown on state tv. the test comes just days after mr trump — speaking at the united nations — attacked iran's missile programme and its nuclear deal with the west. the two main party leaders in germany will make their final appeals to voters today before sunday's elections. the chancellor angela merkel‘s centrist party have a clear lead in the polls. in what is now a familiar picture across europe, both mrs merkel and the social democratic leader, martin schulz, are urging voters to shun the anti—islam, anti—immigrant rhetoric of right—wing candidates that have gained support in the run—up to the election. the polls have closed in the new zealand general election, with prime minister bill english making a strong start in the early counting. but opinion polls had put mr english — of the conservative national party — neck—and—neck with his challenger jacinda ardern, who only took charge of the centre—left labour party last month. earlier, lisa davies, a reporter

for television new zealand news, joined me from a labour party gathering in christchurch and told me more about the labour candidate. this room is packed with labour supporters but it doesn't look like the night is going as they hugged. the government is up 60% with just 40% of the vote counted and some are saying this could give them enough seats to govern alone. 0ften saying this could give them enough seats to govern alone. often in new zealand governments have to form a coalition to take power but the reason there was a jubilant mood in christchurch, it looks like the labour candidate will take this. he has been dubbed by crusader, helping compatriots who have been struggling with insurance issues since the

earthquake in 2011. abortion laws that punish women who have illegal terminations with life in prison should be scrapped, according to an organisation representing many of the uk's childbirth doctors. the royal college of obstetricians and gynaecologists said abortion should be treated as a medical issue controlled through regulation, not criminal law. the opening of the invictus games ta kes pla ce the opening of the invictus games takes place later today. our royal correspondent sarah campbell reports. final words of encouragement from the prince who founded the invictus games. teams from 17 countries have converged on toronto for the sporting competition which opens tonight. this year, more than 550 military personnel will take part in 12 different sports. all have had injury or sickness to overcome. it brings people together that can then associate with each other and learn from each other and help

themselves, better people. that interaction is really important. to me, it's a way to get out and about again, to represent my country again. as an aussie, it is a way to get out and have fun. injust three years, the invictus games have become a global sporting event, and there is little doubt that that is down to the star power of prince harry and his determination to make them a success. toronto also happens to be where prince harry's actress girlfriend, meghan markle, lives and works, leading to much speculation the couple may make their first public appearance together. that question remains unanswered. what is clear is that the next seven days will be filled with examples of the power of sport as a tool to aid recovery. sport now, and for a full round up from the bbc

sport centre, here's mike. good morning. now it's one of sport's great rivalries — two sides of glasgow, meeting for the first time this season, in the scottish premiership. it is the old firm derby. it's been a bit one—sided, recently — in fact rangers have not won a league fixture between the rivals since 2012. and celtic manager brendan rodgers has a record of five wins and a draw from his six old firm matches. i've enjoyed all of them in different ways. you had the league games, the cup games, the victories at ibrox so they are all special games and games that myself and the players look forward to. the early kick off in the premier league, is west ham against tottenham. the hammers mexican striker

javier hernandez has arranged for the shirts, of both teams, to be auctioned off, to raise money, for the earthquake relief fund, in his home country. his west ham manager slaven bilic, knows his side have their work cut out today, because he thinks spurs are title contenders. for me, they are the team that plays the most attractive football, definitely one of the contenders to win the league. they have energy, pattern, individual quality, they have got pace, and they have got the team that has been building for three years now, i think. the years of sacrifice will seem worth it tonight, if britain has another boxing world champion. hughie fury — the cousin of tyson — is aiming to claim the wbo heavyweight belt. his opponent is the undefeated joseph parker, from new zealand, who's won every single one of his 23 fights. fury, who's unbeaten as well, is only 23 years old, but has been through numerous setbacks, injuries and illnesses along the way. he says he's ready. it is like a new lease of life for me, that is why i am super confident going into this fight.

i believe 100% that no—one has seen this hughie fury before, and i'm just so excited to show the world what i can do. and you can hear commentary of that fight on bbc radio five live from 10:30pm this evening. lizzie deignan is hoping to become the world road race champion later today, just four weeks after having her appendix out. she won the title two years ago, but was bed—ridden for 13 days, ahead of the world championships in norway and lost two kilos of muscle weight. it's quite bizarre to be in such fine form, i was going well, to wake up fine form, i was going well, to wake up in fine form, i was going well, to wake upina fine form, i was going well, to wake up in a hospital bed and think that is it, and ijust had that small bit of hope that i could make it and it wasn't something i was ready to give up wasn't something i was ready to give up on. the rowing world championships get under way this weekend in florida with 19 british crews taking part over the week long event. for rebecca chin — who will be part

of the british women's eight — the tournament will be chance to put to bed past demons. at the 2008 paralympics the then 16—year—old chin was stripped of winning silver in the f38 discus due to an on—the—spot reclassification. chin decided to leave para—sport and instead took up rowing — now, nine years on from beijing, she has her chance at a medal again. even though, obviously, the outcome wasn't what anybody wanted, it wasn't anything i expected to happen, the experience of the games was still incredible, still competed in the stadium, had all of the paralympic experience, which was incredible, and that has made me really hungry and is determined to go and do that again at the olympics, and like i said, whatever result i have there will stand, and that is something that means a lot. what a story and comeback that is. that is all the sports for now, now

time to get the weather. last week and we had that cold northerly wind, this weekend it is and northern southerly and for western areas we will have rain around during the day. we have a bit of drizzle this morning as well, this was in calmer adventure earlier on, this in hampshire dictating brighter skies which are working their way north because we have a dominant area of low pressure filling than north atla ntic low pressure filling than north atlantic but they are running into high pressure so weakening, so for the most part it is a low cloud and hill fog across northern and western fringes of the uk but we will find bright skies, winds strengthening will lift the cloud so it will improve in terms of sunshine and how warm it feels. the winds are

escalating a bit, close to gale force for the coats of northern ireland and western scotland, so although it brightens for northern ireland, temperatures will be tempered by the wind. more cloud across northern england and scotland but the low lens should farewell. 0vernight we will see patchy drizzle, an ex—weather from 0vernight we will see patchy drizzle, an ex—weatherfrom making inroads across northern ireland and then moving west. with the cloud around and breeze, it will not be especially chilly but eastern areas may get down to seven or eight celsius but temperatures will respond to the sunshine and warm southerly wind on sunday. the afternoon potentially bring some heavier rain to west england and wales and north, but it brightens up further west across northern ireland, a fresher feel here but in that sunshine to central and eastern areas could see 22 celsius, that

warmerair areas could see 22 celsius, that warmer air still around on monday but fog could be an issue for northern ireland, a lot of cloud and the rain fizzling out, some patchy rain and drizzle but southern fog could be an issue on tuesday and wednesday, high pressure largely keeping the rain at bay until later in the week. hello, and welcome to dateline london. i'm jane hill. this week we discuss theresa may's speech in florence and its impact on the brexit negotiations, we look at the prospects for this weekend's german elections, and we assess what, if anything, was achieved at the un general assembly in new york. my guests are: janet daley, the columnist with the sunday telegraph, the italian broadcaster and film—maker annalisa piras, stryker mcguire of bloomberg markets, and thomas kielinger of germany's die welt. he is an author as well. a warm

welcome to all of you. britain's prime minister theresa may made a key speech in florence this week, setting out more details of the british government's plans and desires for the brexit negotiations, including talk of a two—year transition period, after the leaving date of march 2019. theresa may waits now to see whether her speech is sufficient to end the stalemate in brussels and enable the talks to move to stage two — discussing future relations with the eu and a trade deal. janet, were you impressed? i was impressed by the speech. it was a miracle of the diplomatic and political rhetoric. i am not trying to be sarcastic. it was phenomenal asa to be sarcastic. it was phenomenal as a speech in that not only did you manage to heal whatever red stemming have been in her cabinet and party, but she